Cody Judy, the man who threatened a Mormon Church apostle at a February fireside, says God has told him to plead guilty to assault and escape charges.
Judy, of Bakersfield, Calif., says he is mentally fit to stand trial, although his lawyer wants to convince a judge he is not. In letters from the Utah County Jail, Judy said God has told him that an innocent plea would be a lie.He is charged with assaulting Howard W. Hunter, next in line to be president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in front of 17,000 people last February at Brigham Young University.
Judy claimed to have a bomb and held Hunter hostage for 10 minutes while trying to force him to read a statement declaring Judy head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was wrestled to the ground after a singing crowd distracted him.
The self-proclaimed Mormon prophet is charged with four felonies: kidnapping, first-degree assault, burglary and two counts of third-degree aggravated assault.
Judy also is charged with escaping from the Utah State Hospital on March 23. He turned himself in three days later.
In his letter from his Utah County Jail cell, Judy wrote, "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, in as much as I have commanded you my servant Cody, who is Elias, to do all that ye have done, do not plead innocent before me, for ye are guilty of my commands . . . By pleading guilty before men, ye are found innocent before me, thus saith the Lord." The letter was sent to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Judy's lawyer, Lee Rasmussen, said Judy made the decision to plead guilty without his advice.
"That's certainly something he reached without thorough discussions with his lawyers," Rasmussen said.
Last week, Rasmussen asked for a second competency hearing for his client. A 4th District judge on April 15 found Judy competent to stand trial after a trio of psychiatrists testified to his mental fitness. It will be up to that same court to decide whether to grant Rasmussen's request for a second hearing.
Judy said defense attorneys instructed the three psychiatrists to read a book he says he has written, "Fire of a Trial," before evaluating his mental competency.